Junior Seminar
CMPSC-580-00: Junior Seminar
Academic Bulletin Description
A team-based investigation of select topics in computer science, preparing students for the proposal and completion of a senior project. Working in teams to complete hands-on activities, students learn how to read research papers, state and motivate research questions, design and conduct experiments, and collect and organize evidence for evaluating scientific hypotheses. During a weekly laboratory session students use state-of-the-art technology to gain practical skills in scientific and technical writing, the presentation of computational and mathematical concepts, and the visualization of experimental data. Students are invited to use their own departmentally approved laptop in this course; a limited number of laptops are available for use during class and lab sessions. Prerequisite: CMPSC*101 and at least one of the core courses. Distribution Requirements: None.
The Lab
In order to acquire the proper skills in technical writing, critical reading, and the presentation and evaluation of technical material, it is essential for students to have hands-on experience in a laboratory. Therefore, it is mandatory for all students to attend the laboratory sessions. If you will not be able to attend a laboratory, then please see the one of the course instructor at least one week in advance in order to explain your situation. Students who miss more than two unexcused laboratories will have their final grade in the course reduced by one letter grade. Students who miss more than four unexcused laboratories will automatically fail the course.
Discord
If you are already on the department’s Discord server, then you will be given access to the course’s Discord channel, called #juniorseminar. If not, then you will need to join the department’s Discord server before you can be added to the course’s channel.
Invite link (active until 24 Jan 2023)
Meeting Information:
Classes:
Spring 2023 Main Campus
T/Th 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM 17 Jan 2023 - 9 May 2023 Alden Hall, 101 Lecture
Labs:
Th 2:30 PM - 4:20 PM 17 Jan 2023 - 9 May 2023 Alden Hall, 109 Lab
Calendar
Office Hours
Syllabus and Planning Your Time
- See README.md at
classDocs/
Suggested TextBooks
Deetjen, Thomas A.. Published: A Guide to Literature Review, Outlining, Experimenting, Visualization, Writing, Editing, and Peer Review for Your First Scientific Journal Article. Poland: Productive Academic Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781734493108
Dupr ́e, L. (2000). BUGS in Writing: A Guide to Debugging Your Prose. United States: Addison-Wesley.
Evans, D., Zobel, J., Gruba, P. (2014). How to Write a Better Thesis. Germany: Springer International Publishing.
Gruba, P., Zobel, J. (2017). How To Write Your First Thesis. Germany: Springer International Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-4471-6638-2
Along with reading the required books, you will be asked to study many additional articles from a wide variety of conference proceedings, journals, and the popular press.
Other Useful Textbooks
Think Python, first edition, by Allen B. Downey.
BUGS in Writing: A Guide to Debugging Your Prose (Second Edition). Lyn Dupr'e. Addison-Wesley Professional. ISBN-10: 020137921X and ISBN-13: 978-0201379211, 704 pages, 1998. References to the textbook are abbreviated as “BIW”.
Writing for Computer Science (Second Edition). Justin Zobel. Springer ISBN-10: 1852338024 and ISBN-13:978-1852338022, 270 pages, 2004. References to the textbook are abbreviated as “WFCS”.